A Consultancy Service was established by the Open University to deal with foreign requests for advice on the creation and development of distance learning systems. The approach to training courses is described along with examples of courses under development. (LBH)

This article gives a brief overview of issues in adult literacy; an assessment of workplace literacy; and components, concepts, and steps of the NASA Adult Literacy Evaluator project. The Adult Literacy Evaluator project applies NASA's technical experience to the problem of adult literacy and workplace literacy by finding ways to use interactive…

Describes "SuperText," computer software designed to support expository writing among students in distance learning programs, and its theoretical justification. Notes the various models of writing supported by "SuperText" and outlines the functions of the program. Evaluates "SuperText" on the basis of student…

The Dynamic Courseware Generator (DCG), which runs on a Web server, was developed for the authoring of adaptive computer-assisted learning courses. It generates an individual course according to the learner's goals and previous knowledge, and dynamically adapts the course according to the learner's success in knowledge acquisition. The tool may be…

This study aimed to determine the factors that affect students' preferences regarding tutorial modes. A learning-habit inclinations questionnaire (LHIQ) was constructed and administered to 288 students. Factor analysis revealed four factors: "time management," "ease of access" to learning materials, "positive aspects of interaction," and "negative…

While it is theoretically possible to exploit individualized instruction in the language laboratory, in practice this rarely happens. This article suggests transforming the language laboratory into a tape library, in order to achieve self-paced, individualized use of the lab. This solution is preferable to the traditional laboratory use from the…

The project sought to adapt a maternity nursing course and a series of pharmacology lessons for use on a computer-based teaching system (PLATO, Programmed Logic for Automatic Teaching Operation) and to study the relationships of process variables to student achievement in a self-directed learning situation. A combination of tutorial-inquiry…

An interactive model for the design of individualized instruction was developed and implemented, with activities explicitly prescribed for the instructor and the educational technologist. Using this model--PIERIM (Production, Implementation Evaluation and Revision of Instructional Modules)--a traditional elementary education course was converted…

Explains the videotex technology and its current uses in business, banking, news, and entertainment. Describes a project underway at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in which the potential of using videotex in education is being explored. Provides examples of videotex use in indepentent study, courses, and home study. (TW)

This case study briefly explores how an online, multimedia learning module based on a Cognitive Apprenticeship higher level pedagogy can positively affect students achieving the learning outcomes of a Constructivist project-based curriculum in a blended e-business management program in the Middle East. The cohort in this program is nonnative…

This index joins two companion volumes of books and chapters devoted exclusively or primarily to the topic of self-directed learning. The book contains 242 abstracts of books, chapters, published articles and papers, and unpublished ERIC documents. Chapter 1 is an introduction. Chapter 2 provides an analysis of the 242 abstracts reported in…

This compilation of resolutions and positions of the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges (ASCCC) provides a collective representation of the current and past recommendations of the Senate for strengthening academic standards in California's community colleges. First, ASCCC resolutions are presented regarding academic standards,…

Nontraditional approaches in higher education are discussed, with attention to: (1) economic and philosophical reasons for nontraditional education; (2) future thrusts; (3) nontraditional instructional modalities; and (4) the implications for higher education of the extensive use of nontraditional approaches. It is suggested that nontraditional…

Online delivery is becoming more widely used to enhance face-to-face provision within the higher education sector. What is the value of such supplementation in the learning process? This notion of value is explored through examination of the responses and online output of over 50 students involved in two third year units, each of which used online…

Discussion of the field of educational technology focuses on the influence of instructional design on its development. Topics discussed include instructional applications of the systems approach; programed instruction; learning strategies, including large group and small group instruction and independent study; and behaviorist, cognitivist, and…